TAIPEI: The Taipei Zoo is forging ahead with plans to open its new panda house in time for the first day of the Chinese New Year.

Zoo spokesman Chin Shih-chien announced the two giant pandas that will inhabit the new facility are in good health and were expected to clear a statutory 30-day quarantine late yesterday.

During their quarantine the pandas were examined daily by animal health experts. Three tests for parasites on each animal proved negative, Chin said.

He described the pandas as adapting well to their new environment. During their confinement they have almost tripled their daily bamboo consumption to 30 kilograms.

Meanwhile, zoo veterinarian Chang Chih-hua said that after the pandas are released from quarantine but before they make their public debut January 26th, they will be immunized against canine distemper and rabies - the two diseases most likely to infect pandas.

The pandas will be trained and conditioned to be receptive to veterinarians who will be charged with carrying out various health examinations in the future, Chang said.

The mainland offered the two pandas to Taiwan as a gift in 2005 after a visit to the mainland by then-opposition Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan.

The rare animals, named Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, were delivered to Taiwan on Dec 24, 2008. They have been housed at the Taipei Zoo since their arrival.

CNA

(HK Edition 01/23/2009 page1)